Artificial leg.



PATENTED OCT. 9, 1906.

G. A. BRIGKSON. ARTIFICIAL LEG.

APPLICATION rnnn APB.. 12,1906.

2 BKBETSBK EET 1.

: Walricfisoi 395 M Mar/rugs in. runs. m1 um mumum. n. L,

UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

GUSTAF A. ERICKSON, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR JOHN E. ERICKSON,OF ST. PAUL. MINNESOTA.

'ARTIFICIAL LEG;

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatI, GUSTAF A. ERICKSON, a.citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of-Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inArtificial Legs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in lo the art 'to which .it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to artificial legs, and has for its object tqimprove the same in the several particulars hereinafter noted.

The invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of deviceshereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicats like parts throu hout the several views. Referrin tothe drawings, Figure 1 is a view in si e elevation, showin an artificialleg embodyin my invention. i 2 is an enlar ed'vertica section taken onthe line x m a 5 of ig. 1, some parts being shown in full and.

some parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a plan view of thesocket-supportiugring removed from working position. Fig. 4 is a sideelevation with some parts broken away, 6 illustrating aslightly-modified form of the improved device. Fig.5 is a verticalsection taken through the parts shown in Fig. 4 at an angle of ninetydegrees to the direction in which the said parts are shown in said Fig.4, and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the supportingring shown in Figs. 4 and5.

Referring first to the constructionillustrated in F1 1', 2, and 3, thenumeral 1 indicates the Idwer leg-section of an artificial 4o leg, thesame having the usual or any suitable foot 2. 3 indicates thethigh-socket, which is of the usual orany suitable construction and isconnected to the leg-section l by a pair ti'of hinged metallicthigh-stra s 4 5, the upper sections 4 of which are rigi 1y connected tosaid thigh-socket, the lower sections of which at their lower ends arerigidly connected to the leg-section 1, and which strap-sections areivotally connected at 6 to afford the usual knee joint or hinge. 7indicates the so-called sli socket, which at its sides is providedwitliguide-channels that embrace Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed-April 12,1906. Serial No. 311,292.

Patented Oct. 9, 1906.

the edges of the lower sections of the thighstraps and is guided forvertical movements thereby. The leg-section 1 at itsnpper end isprovided with a metallic band 8, that telescopically embraces the lowerend of the soc et 7. The lower end of the socket is, as

shown, reducedat 7, so that it telescopes within the cavity of the le'gs'ection 1 and leaves a shoulder 7 surrounding the upper portion of saidreduced portion. 7". The shoulder 7 of the slip-socket is supported upona yieldingly-maintained supportingring 9. This supportin -rin 9 isconnected to the upper portionsoi the ower sections 5 of thethigh-straps, preferably by coiled s rings 10, the upper ends of whichare, as s own, attached to headed studs 11 on said thigh-stra sections5, and the lower ends of which springs are attached to upturned lugs orears '9 on the sides of said supporting-ring 9. To afford clearance forthe sprin s 10, the 'thigh strap' sections 5 are referab y cut away orformed with vertica slots 5. In lieu of the springs -10 strong elasticstraps may beemployed; but the coiled springs are preferred. Normally,or when there is no weight on the slip-socket 7, the springs will holdthe same upward, as shown in Fig. 2.

NVhen weight is put u on thisslip-socket, it

moves downward, am its downward movement is limited by the engagement ofthe sup orting-ring 9 with annular or segmental cus lion-strips 12,preferably of rubber, that are secured to the annular upper edge of theleg-section 1. The sup orting-ring 9 and its ears or lugs 9 move ownwardwithin the metallic band 8, so that the latter serves as a guard toprevent the said movable parts from coming in contact with the underwearor antaloon-legs of the wearer of the artificial eg. When it is desiredto remove the sli socket from working position, it is simply raised orslid vertically upward on the lower sections of the thigh straps,leaving the sup-- porting-ring 9 sus' ended in normal position and readyto receive the slip-socket when it is again placed in working position.The said supporting-ring 9 may of course take any form desired incross-section.

In the construction illustratedin Figs. 4, 5, and 6 the supporting-ring12 is round in crosssection and is provided at diametrically oppositepoints with radially-projecting studs 13, having 11otches14 on the undersides of their end portions. In lieu ofthe springs strong elastic webs15 are used, and these are rigidly attached at their upper ends to theupper portions of the lower sections 5 of the thi h-stra s as shown bvmeans of screws 16 and clamping-plates 17. The lower ends of the webs 15are preferably reinforced by thin metallic plates 18, that areperforated to receive the notched ends ofthe studs 13 of thesupporting-ring 12. In this construction the lower sections of thetl'iigh-straps may be narrower than in the constructioi'i previously'webs may be very easily detached at their lower ends. from the studs ofthe supportingring.

Inboth forms of the device the slip-socket 7 may be easily lifted fromworking position. This is verydesirable, because it is very convenientto apply theslip-socket to the leg-- stump before putting on theartificial leg. It afi'ords a coinplete and unbroken support for theslip-socket.

The device described is very simple, of small cost, and in practice hasbeen found extremely efficient for the purposes had in view.

I claim as my invention 1. In an artificial leg, the combination with 35 a lower leg-section, a thigh-socket and hinged thigh-straps connectingthe two, of a slipsocket movable therewith on the lower sections of saidthigh-straps, a supporting-ring upon which said slip-socket looselyrests, and 0 yielding devices supporting said supportingring from saidlower leg-section, the connections between said ring and said yieldingde-' vices being made through slots formed in the lower thigh-strapsections, substantially as 5 described. r 2. In an artificial leg, thecombination with a lower leg-section, a thigh-socket and hingedthigh-straps connecting the two, of a slipsocket movable vertically onthe lower sec tions of said thigh-straps, a supporting-ring upon whichsaid slip-socket loosely rests, said supporting-ring having projectionsthat work through vertical slots in the lower thigh-strap sections, andyielding connections attached at their upper ends to the upper portionsof the lower thigh-strap sections, and attached at their lower ends tothe projections of said supporting-ring, substantially as described.

Intestnnony whereof I afliX my signature m presence of two wltnesses. w

GUSTAF A. ERICKSON.

Witnesses:

H. D. KILGORE, F. D. MERC-IIANT.

